Into The Vale of Shadows // Max Mayfield

II; vii. grandfather clock

chapter seven
grandfather clock

      RAVEN WATCHED AS Max stood in front of Ms. Kelley's house, ringing the door bell with her shaking hands, waiting for the door to open. She crossed her arms as she leaned on the car, watching as Ms. Kelley welcomed Max into her home.

     "Raven?" Amanda called, standing in front of the taller girl still holding herself, wrapped with Raven's jacket that looked to be two sizes bigger than her.

     Raven opted to talk to her, to clear up some things. Though she already has an idea what Amanda saw, she still wants a confirmation, and to also check up on her after what it was that she'd witnessed. Raven felt like she was walking on eggshells, bringing up this topic that seemed to be still sensitive to Amanda. Raven wanted to take things slow and move at the kind of pace Amanda would be comfortable with talking about this, but she didn't know how to start, she didn't know what words to say.

     "Would you be okay with telling me about what . . ." Raven hesitated, examining Amanda's face for any kind of reaction. She spoke in such a soft and solemn voice, Amanda found it comforting, as though it had put her at ease. "What happened . . . last night?" Amanda just stood there with her face remaining blank, with no prominent emotions flowing. "What exactly did you see?"

     Amanda looked down at the pavement, standing still like she was deep within her thoughts. Raven just waited, not wanting to make the girl feel like she was forcing answers out of her. Amanda still seemed to be shaken, in a state of shock that Raven thought looked similar to Eddie's situation.

     "It's hard to believe," Amanda spoke, still staring upon the pavement, fiddling with the loose threads of Raven's jacket. "I didn't tell the police because I know they won't believe me."

     "I'll believe you," said Raven like she was making a promise, gently landing her hand on Amanda's shoulder. The girl looked up to meet Raven's eyes. Her's were glossy, reflecting the lights with pools of tears filling up its lids, hinting a look of deject. "I won't doubt a thing you say." Raven looked back at her eyes, seeing a glimpse of her past, giving her a feeling of familiarity. Amanda looked a lot like her aunt, and it's causing Raven to be reminded, to feel so much remorse that she can't even look into Amanda's eyes for longer than of a second. She gave Amanda's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Trust me."

     Amanda just stared at her, fighting away the tears so as to not let them fall — well, they did anyway, wiping them with the sleeve of her jacket, with quivering lips that she bit back, swallowing the lump that had built up in her throat. She heaved a sigh, looking down with a shake of her head. "I . . . I was cycling around to . . . to clear my head. Then I got too far out of town, I came across—" A sob tried to break out of her throat. Amanda covered her mouth with her hand, like she was trying to hold it back into her mouth. "I— I came across something — someone. It was Fred. He was . . . he was just standing there, then he started . . . floating."

     Amanda's shoulders dropped, her embrace on herself tightened. She seemed to have been dazed, looking into the nothingness as her tears fell freely from her cheeks. "Then his limbs . . . they just started to . . . snap." Amanda flinched, looking startled as though she can still hear Fred's bones to her ears, snapping, cracking, and she did nothing but watch.

     "Amanda . . ." Raven looked at her with eyes filled with concern and worry, opening her arms which the smaller girl took as an invitation for a hug. She once again buried herself in the comfort of Raven's chest, feeling a sense of safety and solace within the girl's arms. "Shh . . . It'll be all right. I just — just need to tell you something. You see, Hawkins is kind of—"